Impact Scholars Program

Impact Scholars are appointed for one year—with an option to renew for a second—as they build coherent bodies of their own work and prepare for successful global health careers in academia, government, civil society, or advocacy as  effective, influential leaders.

Working with University of Michigan faculty mentors, scholars engage in projects that involve collaboration across two or more themes that have been prioritized by the Center. The program is designed to support those who are passionate about designing work that has high health impacts for those in low- and middle-income countries.

The Center provides full salary and benefits for the scholar, in accordance with the NIH guidelines, along with allocation of some funding for research expenses and travel.

The Center for Global Health Equity invites applications from University of Michigan faculty members or faculty teams to host an Impact Scholar starting fall 2023.

Faculty can propose an Impact Scholar in three ways:

• Recommend a specific candidate to join the Impact Scholar program (without a specific project/area of work yet identified)
• Propose a specific project/area of work for the Impact Scholar program with a preferred candidate in mind
• Propose a specific project/area of work for the Impact Scholar program without a preferred candidate in mind

The proposed line of work for the Scholar must align with one of the thematic areas of focus prioritized by the Center including:

• Strengthening systems to improve health and health equity, including creative approaches with the private sector (human resource development, collaborative care models, supply-chain, and access)
• Addressing and informing policy on the social and environmental determinants of health (climate change, food security, education, health economics, and economic development)
• Developing technical solutions for health equity (artificial intelligence and data science approaches, telehealth tools, and systems)
• Empowering women as effectors of health for themselves, their families, and their communities

University of Michigan faculty members proposing Impact Scholar positions must be members of the Center for Global Health Equity and be engaged with at least one of the Center’s communities of practice.

A commitment to co-developing a learning plan and shaping an approach to mentorship is required of faculty mentors. Mentorships plans must include identifying a primary mentor and a multidisciplinary mentorship committee who will meet with the scholar regularly and guide their work throughout the program.

Understandably, these roles may not be well-defined until the scholar is selected. But identifying a cadre of individuals who could potentially serve in these roles is expected.

Viable candidates for Impact Scholar positions must have completed a terminal degree (PhD, MD, and so on) or equivalent and meet eligibility requirements for a postdoctoral position at the University of Michigan.

Applications will be accepted August 1–November 2, 2022. Faculty applicants will be notified by late November whether their proposals have been approved to move forward in the recruitment process.

There are three application paths:

• Recommend a specific candidate to join the Impact Scholar program (without a specific project/area of work yet identified)
• Propose a specific project/area of work for the Impact Scholar program with a preferred candidate in mind.
• Propose a specific project/area of work for the Impact Scholar program without a preferred candidate in mind

For more information, contact Tania Piotrowski at taniag@umich.edu.